(With Ichigo)
"I see. So that's what's been going on." Scathach said as her former student filled her in on everything that was relevant since he left her tutelage, sharing a tankard of ale with him. Ichigo skimmed over the majority of events to give her a rough idea before explaining the Khaos Brigade and their actions, particularly that of the Hero-Faction. She absorbed each detail with the calm analysis born from over a millennia of experience, steadily forming her own plans for the future in the event that anything would force her hand. "Surprised that the Biblical factions decided to play nice now, considering how much they've been at each other's throats."
"Comes from eliminating the more antagonistic elements." Ichigo returned, drinking half his mug in a few gulps. "Now if only the Khaos Brigade were as easy to deal with. Outside of the 'Old Satan Faction' and their so-called 'Hero Faction', we don't know much about who or where they are. Loki admitted that his own actions had nothing to do with the Khaos Brigade, and he'd be a prime candidate for them on the surface level."
"So likely, despite being one organization, they have no real cohesion with each other." The warrior queen suggested while drinking her own ale. "Has the Alliance been any better, or did you take everything on your shoulder's again like you always do?" She asked dryly, making Ichigo flinch and give away the answer she was expecting, which caused her to sigh. "Idiot." She said with a shake of her head before taking another drink. "Well, if anyone from the Celtic pantheon were to be part of the Khaos Brigade, it'd be the Fomorians. They've been hiding ever since Lugh killed Balor and I can't imagine their grudge just faded." She swirled around her ale before downing her cup. "Okay. Give me your hand."
"Yes ma'am." Ichigo immediately complied as Scathach took his outstretched hand. She reached into a pocket and pulled out a set of stones, using magic to carve a set of Runes along the stones and threading all of them into a bracelet that attached itself to the hybrid's wrist.
"There. Now be sure to call on me should you ever need my help again." She said as she performed the same action to create a matching set for her own wrist. "Whether that help is fighting more enemies, helping to refine your skills, or just someone to talk to again, I'll be there for you and your allies. Later though. For now, I have to meet with the Tuatha De Danann to convince them to assist in this war. If anything else, know that I'm at least still on your side."
"Thanks master." Ichigo said, looking down to his bracelet with a smile. "Having you as an ally again is a huge relief." She nodded to him again with a smile before snapping her fingers and causing him to appear on the beach of the Island of Skye. "Right. Back to Asgard then." Ichigo said, flicking his wrist and running into the void of the Garganta. A few quick jumps and he slipped back into Odin's study back in Valhalla, finding the one-eyed God still resting and took a moment to reinforce the runes on his body to numb the rot from Hell.
'Were they always fading this quickly?' The hybrid wondered, recognizing that they were already a fifth of the way gone from when he helped apply them. Ichigo took another cursory glance around and saw the amount of books and scrolls relating to Canaanite lore that were now laying on the tables and floor. 'Maybe I should call on Tiamat to see if she can recall anything or maybe Michael to see if Heaven has anything still in the original script. Unless you want to tell me, your majesty.' He thought, directing that last part to the Soul King himself, and was still met with silence. Sighing with resignation, he decided to leave that matter for tomorrow and check on his team, starting with Zaraki since he kept hearing yells and cheers from the hall they first came to. It lacked the sounds of the brawling they were first greeted with but he could feel Zaraki's crushing Reiatsu that was clearly indicating that he was in a fight. The hybrid flashed back to the drinking halls, finding all of the Einherjar cheering on an arm-wrestling match between Zaraki and the giant of a man from earlier.
"If only the Valkyries got to you first! I would've loved to have a proper sparring partner and you're the closest one I've met in sheer strength!" The Aesir Thor, if the crowd was to be believed, called out as the pressure and strength between the two's struggle seemed heavy enough to crush any lesser being that tried to get too close. Tying their hands together for this match was the shining golden Gleipnir, managing to hold the strain of the two competing powerhouses as they pushed against each other in an attempt to bring their hands down.
"I know that feeling!" Kenpachi agreed, both eyes glowing with his yellow Reiryoku as Thor cackled with lightning as they put even more strength into their contest, causing the table to break apart into splinters while the ground beneath their feet cracked and cratered under their combined force. Ichigo watched this for a few more seconds before turning to see Rukia and Toshiro walking toward him.
"What have you learned?" The hybrid asked, choosing to ignore the mounting pressure from the two as cracks started to appear in the air around them. The two Captains glanced at the two in the center before looking back to Ichigo. "Yes, we're ignoring that for now. Let Zaraki have his fun, I'll stop it before it gets too out of hand." He quickly said as more cracks appeared and more of the tables and benches snapped into splinters, Rukia continuing to stare at her husband. "...okay. I'll step in." He conceded, snapping his fingers twice. Suddenly Thor and Zaraki went flying in the directions they were pushing as any resistance against them suddenly vanished, their severed hands floating in place as they were held inside of a barrier. Ichigo then held out his hand and pulsated with a pale blue light emitting from his palm as reality seemed to steadily restore itself. "Sorry Kenpachi! Just stick your hand back on and it'll be reattached! After I get this report I'll send you and Thor into the Garganta where you won't break anything!" The Squad 11 Captain gave an annoyed 'tch' before he and Thor went over to get their hands. "Now can I get that report?"
"The Aesir Heimdall showed us Vigrid," Toshiro started, being calm but his icy tone made it clear he was getting ready for a brutal fight, "and it really is just a wide open field. No hills, no trees, just a flat open plane. It's supposed to hold all the people that would fight in the battle tomorrow, the majority of our opposition being giants and the undead." That bit of news explained the ice dragon's attitude, the time they were expecting to have for preparation was now non-existent against enemies that were almost entirely unknown.
"I'll at least enjoy the prospect of a surprise then." Kenpachi said, joining them as he checked his reattached hand. Thor was with him, along with a few others of the Aesir while other people cleaned up the mess the two made. "Hopefully there's someone among them that's actually worth my time."
"If not, we'll entertain each other with a proper brawl." The thunder God answered, getting a look and a smirk from Zaraki. "I'm more excited for that than this war!"
"From what I managed to hear, these foreign Gods that are fighting with them are called Mot and Yamm." One of the Aesir, with shining golden eyes and hair with a horn at his hip, said. "They were apparently revived by the Khaos Brigade by piecing their bodies back together before enhancing them with these 'Ophis Snakes' as your Captain referred to them as." That made Ichigo, Rukia, and Toshiro narrow their eyes in concern, realizing that this is why he himself was given permission to have his finally seal unleashed.
"Any idea who'd be the strongest then?" Kenpachi asked, his mind focusing on who'd give him the most fun. That made everyone pause to seriously think about that question. Mot and Yamm were apparently valuable enough to the Khaos Brigade to restore and empower with some of their remaining snakes to the point that one of them could usurp Hel from her own dominion where she was supposed to be all powerful and the other was once the king of the pantheon as a sea God if Odin's notes were true. However, the final major threat of Ragnarok that was the flame Jotun Surtr was with them as well, a being that was supposed to be able to defeat all of the Aesir and reduce the Nine Realms of the Norse to ash. "Ah! Forget it! I'll take the flame giant!" Zaraki suddenly declared, surprising the group. "It's not a guess how powerful he is, it's confirmed, so I can trust that it'll be fun. Besides," he sent a glare to Ichigo, "this is the closest I'll get to fighting you using the old man's sword."
"I still refuse to fight you with that sword Zaraki." The Captain Commander declared, matching his glare. "It's more fun with Zangetsu anyway, and you know it." The two held their gaze before smirking and breaking it. "I'll take Mot then. I feel like I should be the one to fight him.
"Leaving that sea God to me then?" Thor guessed before looking to the other two Captains. "Unless you two-"
"We're here to contain the damage from the fires." Rukia immediately answered with an annoyed look. "Just end this quickly so we can go home." The squad 13 Captain had appeared composed, but Ichigo noticed a slight fidgeting to her hands and feet. Not having the Almighty had the various Gotei members in the know on edge and a feeling that things had been running too smooth for too long. He needed to get back home quickly to make sure it was still safe.
"Understood." The Aesir with the horn said. "Please try to get some rest. I'll sound the Gjallarhorn in the morning." With that, everyone departed to whatever rooms they were given to find their rest in. Rukia stayed close to Ichigo as they found a vacant room with a queen sized bed, with layers of thick furs in lieu of a mattress and cotton blankets. The pair started to disarm themselves and strip out of their clothes, their bath being a water basin with a cloth to wipe themselves down with. Ichigo was wiping down Rukia's back when she pulled out her phone and made a conference call to the rest of the Gotei back in Soul Society.
"Hello everyone." She started, keeping her face in the frame as the other leaders of the Gotei appeared, every captain and the lieutenants for the four squads currently lacking them, and Orihime, Tatsuki, and Yasaka. Most of them appeared properly dressed and ready for the day while others were still in the process of staying awake. "Sorry, I forgot about the time difference and it's eleven at night here."
"We're just waking up Rukia." Byakuya answered, ever composed and dignified. "Where is Ichigo?"
"Washing himself." She answered, flinching as her husband worked to ease some of the tensions in her back. "He's listening and will join in when necessary."
"OH! Take a video and show us later!" Nel chimed in from Tier's monitor. "Been a while since he had the time for any of us." The rest of the sister wives on the call nodding in agreement while several of the other captains just shook their heads. Ichigo resolved to take another break to spend some more time with his wives.
"Save that for your own private time. Please?" Kensei said in exasperation. "Let's focus on the current matters at hand."
"Like how the Kuoh group will be heading to Kyoto soon?" Orihime guessed with a finger to her lip. "But it's just the second years and I don't think anything is going to happen."
"You probably just jinxed it Orihime." Shinji drawled out.
"If something does occur, they can find aid in Kyoto." Yasaka promised. "The Shinigami and Yokai will be ready to receive them."
"I believe it's more related to the fact that things seem to have gone quiet throughout all of Japan." Said the captain of Squad 7, Tetsuzaemon Iba. A man with a black pompadour and a mustache that connected to his sideburns, wearing sunglasses and a crescent scar next to his right eye. "Like the calm before the storm."
"Indeed. I just want to finish this and return home." Ichigo chimed in, handing Rukia the wash cloth as he took the phone. "Fortunately, according to the Aesir Heimdall, the fight will be in the morning over here. The enemy side is now double ours from apparently having received aid from the Khaos Brigade and I have no intentions of holding back with them." Rukia started rubbing down Ichigo's back and saw the vague image of the Soul King's eye seal on his back beginning to slowly close. "Best case scenario, the Khaos Brigade is just gathering its meager forces for an assault. Worst case, they might actually do some damage now that the dead weight of the Old Satan Faction is gone."
"I'll start employing various counter-measures. Can't be too careful." Urahara said in a rare moment of straightforwardness. With that, the calls ended and Ichigo intended on turning in for the night.
"By the way, I met a Valkyrie named Gondul." The petite Soul Reaper mentioned as the two slipped into their bed for the night. "Apparently she's Rossweisse's grandmother and wanted to know how she was settling in to her new life."
"Oh? What did you tell her?" He asked, curious about this line of gossip.
"I mentioned you put her my family's mansion and that my brother is taking care of helping her acclimate. Nothing major... but I think she mumbled something about 'scoring a rich bachelor' as she left."
"Think we can keep our daughter if they do become an item? I'm worried about how much Byakuya butts in on our time with Hisana."
"And his interest in us having more kids." Rukia added as they thought back to when they went to that amusement park. "I hope this works out."
(Meanwhile, in the Hall of Valhalla)
Zaraki felt restless, eagerly awaiting the sounding of the horn to start the battle he was promised. He couldn't help but grin at the idea of battling giants, wondering what sizes he'd fight since the Jotunar could all vary in their sizes. From as large as Thor to towering over great mountains, just the idea of being able to cut them down sent such elation through the bloodthirsty man known as the Kenpachi. However, he had to wait for the horn to sound. It wouldn't do to just show up and then still have to wait for his enemy to show up. So instead, he walked the now quiet corridors of Valhalla, the silence allowing the honorable dead of the Einherjar their final rest before what could be their final fight. That's when he saw the god of thunder himself, sitting at an empty table while a barrel of mead next to him.
'Maybe a drink might actually give me the patience.' Zaraki thought to himself as he made his way over to lone Aesir. "Mind if I join you?" He called out, knowing he wasn't quiet enough to slip past Thor's notice. "Between the fighting and our strength contest, I never had the chance to try your drinks." He grabbed a tankard from the counter and sat next to the barrel of honey wine, the sweet scent permeating the air as he steadily filled his mug with the alcohol.
"Go ahead, there's plenty of drink to spare." Thor said, almost dismissively as he took another gulp of his drink. The two drank in silence, a tension in the air but neither wanting to break it. Zaraki because it wasn't his business to pry and Thor didn't seem eager to address the matter. So the two drank in silence and waited, knowing that eventually the dam would break. The air just had that feel to it, the question was how long before it broke. "It's funny," The Aesir finally said after minutes and a few mugs of mead, "for so long I was certain in the way I'd finally die. Prophecy dictated that I would inhale too much of Jormungandr's poison in my fight to the death with him. Now he's going to tow us all to Vigrid on the ship Skidblandir. After that he plans to help us fight and then go back to sleep for what might be an eternity this time." He finished off another cup. "I should feel confidant that this means I might not die tomorrow, but there was comfort in knowing how I'd go. Now it's anyone's guess once again." He scooped up more mead. "And proof of that is that the All-Father is dying of some illness or poison."
"Oh, you noticed that?" Kenpachi asked, rather casually. It was obvious that a fight wouldn't happen here and they were already paying off the debt. And even if there was to be a fight between them, Zaraki would be all too happy to oblige the god.
"He's doing his best to hide it, but those of us that have been the closest to him can see that his health is waning." Thor answered before downing another drink. "And he won't last for much longer."
"Ideas on a successor?" The captain asked, making conversation. "I'm not sure how that works for you guys."
"All-Father was a magnificent warrior in his prime, feared from both his skill with his spear and the magic that he commanded. However, the thing that set him apart from the rest of the Aesir was his wisdom and cunning, which made him the most proactive of us. It was only natural he became the leader. From what our now outdated prophecies said, Vidar was supposed to be the successor as the strongest of the surviving Aesir. Now, it's completely up for grabs for the survivor."
"Sounds like a problem for later then." Zaraki said before downing the rest of his mug. "Tomorrow, we do what men like us do best and fight to our hearts content." He then jumped to his feet and stretched his body out. "Worry about the boring shit for after the fun's done. Stop being so mopey. It ain't like you. Even I can tell that much." He advised before leaving the god, calm enough now to enjoy a proper rest. Thor just gave a quick hmph before downing his own mug, and then chugging the rest of the barrel of mead before tossing both aside.
"Yeah, this isn't like me." He said, wiping his mouth of the excess liquor before snapping Mjorlnir to his hand. The ultimate hammer with a handle just long enough for one of his hands, the mightiest weapon of the Norse. He looked at the metal block, fashioned with magic runes as it thrummed blue with power and lightning. "Bring all of your would be allies, Khaos Brigade. If Odin's might can no longer protect Asgard from its enemies, then Thor's wrath will see them all crushed." He promised before slipping it back to his hip and marched toward his room. Tonight he would find comfort in his wife's embrace, and tomorrow he would bathe himself in the blood of his enemies.
(Ragnarok)
Dawn finally cracked when Gjallarhorn was blown, causing the armies of Asgard to scramble in an organized frenzy. The centuries of fighting and working alongside each other evident as no one got in each other's way as they did their preparations of loading weapons and armor onto a massive longship with a carving of a boar's head on the front with an image of a tree with nine circles around it. The hull was lined with rows of round shields and the golden chain of Gleipnir seemed to be acting as a sort of towing cable with a bridal made specifically for the Dragon King Jormungandr who let out a fearsome roar to everyone that didn't realize it was just a yawn. The massive serpentine beast was definitely not a morning person. Odin himself was sitting on a chair resting against the mast, his face as firm as stone and showing no signs of weakness with many mistaking his tightening grip on the arms to be a sign of focus and resolve.
The four shinigami captains loaded themselves on the ship and just waited for the battle that was to come. Ichigo immediately sat down and started meditating, focusing and concentrating his raging Reiryoku that was barely being contained. All sixteen of his Gotei Seals were released with only the Eye of the Soul King left to help reign in his Reiatsu and it was almost shut. When that happened he'd have a very short window to destroy Mot as per the Soul King's demand. The ancient Canaanite God was a voracious one, actually consuming the desert sands of Hueco Mundo that was comprised of the remains of many ancient hollows that fused with him and cursed him with eternal hunger. Mot become a god of death, the desert, and sterility as his hunger drove him to deprive the lands they occupied of water and life, leading to his conflicts with the rest of his pantheon until one killed him in a ritual to prevent his possible revival. Now that the Khaos Brigade revived him with the power of the Ophis snakes they had, his hunger and power became such that he'd reduce entire worlds to barren wastelands. Mot was now too much of a threat to the Balance of Souls as an out of control hungry monster that needed to be ended.
When he called Tiamat earlier, she told him Yamm was a tyrannical sea god that enslaved the rest of his pantheon before he was overthrown and had his remains likewise scattered, but unlike Mot, he understood the concept of restraint. Even with the power and madness of the Ophis snakes he would only seek to regain some semblance of a throne if the Khaos Brigade succeeded and was no less dangerous. The dragon mother goddess even mentioned how his right hand, a monstrous serpent named Lotan, became the original devil of the Leviathan line. He was not someone to dismiss so casually. And anyone that's familiar with Norse lore should know of Surtr, the oldest living being of the Norse with the fire capable of burning away the Nine Realms.
Reflecting on the enemy and their own forces, Ichigo was certain that the damage would be contained to just Vigrid. The storm that Thor and Yam might conjure along with the cold and ice Rukia and Toshiro can conjure would keep any of the apocalyptic flames at bay. The two of them were capable of calming his aftermath with Kagutsuchi. The blade was rattling in anticipation of being able to unleash its wrath, fully and without any restraint. The eye was nearly shut as he felt the energy of Ophis in the distance, they had arrived to the realm where Vigrid resided.
"I see the battlefield!" Heimdall announced while they were still many leagues away. "The Jotunar and the Khaos Brigade have- when did he get there?!" The Aesir watchman called out the moment he saw Ichigo already on the battlefield in front of the army.
"Reduce all of creation to ash. Kagutsuchi." The hybrid whispered before the army of undead and giants noticed him. The moment he said that and unsheathed the blade all of Vigrid was turned into a sea of molten soil and every enemy before him, skeletal Draugr and giant, whether Jotun or from the Canaanite realm, was reduced to ash instantly. The forces on Skidblandr watched through squinted eyes at the inferno that devoured the battlefield, Heimdall making out Naglfar, a ship made of human nails, burning with a towering being with the body of a man and the lower body of a snake swing around a golden trident. As he did that it seemed to have caused a storm to appear with waves furiously trying to quell the fire, but all it created was quickly blown away steam.
'Now, where are you?' Ichigo wondered as he stood among the flames, his eyes scanning the ship before spying a stone sarcophagus with the relief of an ancient dragon centaur like being. "Found you." He growled before the flames pulled behind him and took the giant shape of his Hollow mask. The mask opened its mouth and started to breath in, embers and souls getting sucked into the burning maw and further strengthening the hybrid as some of the weaker ones still on the half melted ship burned to ash. "Now to end you, Mot." He flicked his wrist at the sarcophagus still many leagues away from him and opened a Garganta. Instantly he kicked the stone coffin into the void and followed after it.
"Now!" Toshiro called out to Rukia as they flashed to the battlefield and activated their Shikai. "Reign over frosted heavens! Hyorinmaru!" The squad 10 captain called out as a multitude of Eastern style ice dragons formed and flew toward the glowing melted ground.
"Dance! Sode no Shiraiyuki! Hakuren!" The petite captain added as a blast of concentrated cold shot towards the same ground. The collision of molten soil and freezing ice and air turned it all to a crackling glass. Thor seemed to notice this and used Mjolnir to throw himself to Vigrid, slammed into it hard enough to reduce all of the glass to powder. In an instant, the army that Heimdall warned them about was reduce to a fifth of their size, leaving only the strongest of the Jotuns and Yamm. Thor let out a mad laugh.
"YES! Some actually survived the flames of Soul Society, now FEEL THE THUNDER OF ASGARD!" He roared as he raised his hammer, lightning connecting to it and the sky as storm clouds and winds built and rang with his fury. "ATTACK!" He shouted as Skidblandr finally landed and the Einherjar let out their furious battle cries.
(Ichigo vs Mot)
Upon entering the endless void of the Garganta, Ichigo extracted enough reishi from the Hogyoku to form a heavily reinforced Valley of Screams that the two entered immediately. The realm was a barren wasteland of dull gray clay, cracked and dry from the utter lack of any moisture in this dead world. A perfect arena for a fully unleashed battle and Kagutsuchi was thrumming in his grip with excitement, eager to continue. The blaze that enveloped him got even hotter as he threw the sarcophagus with the force of a meteorite to the ground below him. The coffin tore a gouge through the earth before finally coming to a stop while Ichigo landed, the fire around him melting the earth as he marched toward the sarcophagus.
"Rise ancient god of death and sterility, lord of deserts." The hybrid called out as he held up his blade. "I'm going to consign you to oblivion." The lid of the coffin seemed to crumble into sand in that moment, a brownish yellow skeletal hand reaching for the rim before it too started to collapse under its touch. Mot was steadily revealed as more of the sarcophagus turned to sand, a disgusting skeleton that looked like the flesh was dried before being stripped away with a black substance that seemed to be crawling throughout the entire skeletal structure like it was a swarm of insects. "Don't say anything. I'm not interested in anything you might have to say."
Mot's jaw snapped open and released an unearthly howl that sounded like the desert winds, all the land around him turning to sand as gale force winds started blowing. The tiny particles of the sand were shot at him like billions of tiny bullets in a spread that made dodging impossible. Ichigo merely swung Kagutsuchi's blade and the fire shifted into a whirlwind around him that sent all of the melting grains around him in a harmless flurry of liquid glass. Suddenly he felt himself sink as the pool of molten silica seemed to begin to absorb him, massive tendrils of sand rising up and shooting toward him like snakes trying to bite their prey and turning to spikes of melted glass as well.
"Useless." Ichigo said before raising himself on reishi and swinging his blade in a myriad of slashes and caused the spikes to collapse, revealing the insides to be comprised of that black cloud of insects that continued toward him. 'Is he immune to fire or did the power of Ophis grant him such strength?' He wondered before flashing away high into the sky. Ichigo noticed how much of the land was turned to sand and sent out a Pesquisa pulse, feeling that Mot's being was consuming the entire dimension now. 'No wonder they kept him locked in that box.' He thought as a massive skeleton made of sand and swarming with that cloud of bugs rose up and swung at him. Ichigo swung Kagutsuchi, cleaving the sand construct in twain before the wave of heat and flames blew it away into melted glass an instant later. The black cloud was dispersed and quickly spread out, the hybrid sensing that the god was still ready to fight but had to question what the plan was.
Ichigo's eyes widened as more spires of sand flew at him from every direction below him, didn't matter that it all turned to glass the moment it got within a mile of him. Ichigo flashed higher up to what he figured was low orbit of the world and realized what Mot was planning. The god already reduced all of the ground to desert sand and steadily trapped him within it like a cone snail eating a paralyzed fish. Ichigo flared even more as sand shot at him from every direction along with the black cloud that began to cover his body. The feeling of countless ant-like things crawling on his skin assailed the hybrid and it felt like the moisture in his body was being drained away, slowly but he could recognize that sense of dehydration. He could feel the fragment of Ophis being the sole reason this attack was having any effect on him, the empowered concept of desert dryness. Then he felt the Soul King Eye finaly shut on his back.
"Bankai. Bokyaku no Hono(Flames of Oblivion)." He whispered, before moving his blade ever so slightly. The resulting pulse of reiatsu and fire was felt throughout nearly all of the realms, from the World of the Living to the many domains of the gods and devils. Every realm trembled and some could tell that things became brighter if only for an instant before it faded. The realm that was Ichigo's killing field for the Canaanite god briefly turned into a star before compressing back to the blade of Kagutsuchi, now a scorched and smoking black sword as its power was sealed with the glowing image of the Soul King's Eye fully open on Ichigo's back. The hand clutching the sword was reduced to charred black bone, along with the rest of his arm as his body was covered in severe burns that were steadily healing. In his other hand was the smoking skull of Mot, the last piece of the ancient god that he spared as it bore the remnants of the god's soul. He brought the skull to his lips and sucked in the soul like a drink of precious water, the most ironic of fates for the god of deserts. He then crushed the smoldering bone as the Hogyoku began to glow, restoring his body and Shinigami robes.
"HNG! Still not used to using that Bankai." He grunted out, scratching at his skin as it itched from the healing. "Thanks for this." He said to the glowing orb in his chest as he returned Kagutsuchi to its sheath. "Did not want to return in the buff." He then drew out the dual blades of Zangetsu. "This should be enough to finish things." He then found where Vigrid was once more and flew flashed back to it.
(Thor vs Yamm)
Thunder cracked with every swing of the god's hammer, drowned out only by his laughter as he did as Zaraki suggested and indulged himself. Every swing and throw of Mjolnir, along with every punch or kick, Thor did was accompanied with a powerful blast of lightning. True to his legendary strength each and every giant he struck was killed or crippled for the rest of the Einherjar and Aesir to deal with. They didn't matter, he wanted the Canaanite god that dared to challenge Asgard. He finally spied the giant serpentine man and started charging at him with a mad grin on his face, Yamm was glaring down and threw his hand forward.
"Strike him down Lotan the Second!" The god roared out as a giant blue snake with seven heads burst out from the sea and started to bear down on him. Thor got ready to throw Mjolnir again, roaring in bloodlust and fury at this new obstacle between him and his target, when he heard a much bigger roar from behind him. Suddenly Jormundgandr shot out and slammed into the other serpent, quickly turning it away from the battlefield.
"Finish this quickly so that I can go back to sleep!" The dragon king roared out before they sank beneath the waves. Yamm growled in frustration while Thor took his opening, throwing Mjolnir at the other god's head. A blow, known for flattening mountains and digging up valleys, slammed into Yamm's skull with a thunderous crack and another blast of lightning. Yamm growled in pained anger, shaking his head clear to notice Thor charging at him again and summoning his hammer to his hand. The Canaanite god caught Mjolnir and used its weight and force to throw himself at the Aesir, his trident glowing with black energy as he poised to strike him.
"So that's the power you got from Ophis eh?" Thor said with a grin, charging his fist with lightning before slamming it into Yamm's own. The resulting shock wave shook Vigrid with a sickening crunch as Yamm's finger bones broke under Thor's fist. "Now return my-!" He started to demand before Yamm slammed his trident against his side and sent him flying. The Aesir shook his head clear and reached out for his hammer again, this time Mjolnir slipped out of the sea god's hand and forcibly snapped back the broken finger and earning another pained cry from Yamm. "Hey! Were you really empowered by the snakes of the dragon god of infinity?" Thor yelled out in a taunting tone. "I've drunk mead that hit me harder than you!" The Canaanite growled in response as his finger healed up.
"I only took enough to revive myself and recreate a new Lotan." Yamm answered while clenching his hand. "Mot took the rest so that we could claim Helheim's dead." His trident started glowing black again before he started spinning it around while Jormungandr rose up out of the water with the seven heads of Lotan biting him wherever they could. Suddenly everything shook and a light turned the darken stormy sky bright, making everything freeze as they sensed the extreme power that was used. Thor immediately recovered and threw Mjolnir at the base of the seven headed monster's necks with a sickening crack and causing the monster to go limp. The Aesir summoned his hammer back to his hand while jumping toward Yamm, who just noticed Thor's actions as he caught Mjolnir and let the force bring him to his foe's head.
"That was your mistake!" Thor cried out as he collided with the Canaanite's skull, throwing it back while he held on before throwing all of his strength behind hammer. Again and again he smashed Mjolnir into Yamm's skull, forcing the giant serpentine man to collapse under the force of the blows before Thor made one last strike with a colossal bolt of lightning that blew Yamm's head apart. "And your last." He growled out lowly, standing up to find Ichigo had returned. Giving a quick nod, the two aimed to return to battle before a new and far harsher fire than what Ichigo conjured with Kagutsuchi erupted. "Well that can't be good."
(Kenpachi vs Surtr)
If anything was familiar to Zaraki, no matter where it was, it was the battlefield. The clashing of steel, the cries of the warriors, the smell of blood and fire, all of it brought a sense of belonging to the man as he charged through the killing field of Ragnarok, aiming for the one being that grew bigger than any other. This giant had skin as black as volcanic rock, lines that seemed like blood vessels glowing with what seemed like magma, his hands, feet, and eyes alight with fires while his long beard burned like the embers of a still burning fire and wielding a sword that burned like an evening sun. All of the descriptions he read and his instincts told him that this was the opponent he called dibs on, the giant that would burn away the nine realms, Surtr. Kenpachi could only grin in anticipation as he charged through everything that stood against him, his zanpakuto easily cutting down everything that stood against him.
"You better entertain me!" Zaraki roared out as he picked up speed, his every step sending tremors through the powdered glass that became the ground of Vigrid. The flame giant apparently noticed the shinigami and swung his own sword down on the berserker captain. Kenpachi flared his reiryoku and swung his own blade to match the giant's, the burning sword of Surtr being the size of a pair of Menos Grande Gillian hollows stacked on top of each other and when it collided with his own zanpakuto, sparks and fire sprayed out and engulfed Kenpachi. The captain roared out as his eye-patch and shihakusho burned away, his skin peeling away from the heat before the flare of his reiatsu started to shield him. "Drink! Nozarashi!" He roared, his sword turning into his large cleaver that he used to divert the burning sword to the side.
"Hey! I just want a one on one fight!" Kenpachi called out as more of the flame jotunar started to close in on him. He spun Nozarashi to an upright position before stabbing the butt end into the ground, sending out a pulse of power. "Kenju no Koshin!(March of the sword beasts)" He said, suddenly being surrounded by hundreds of creatures of all kinds and all wielding a blade. "Keep them occupied," he then swung Nozarashi relatively lightly for his strength, still causing a cut to appear on Surtr's chest, "I only want him." Surtr felt the pouring magma that was spilling from his cut chest and glared at Zaraki, who didn't even flinch as the flame giants and sword beasts got into a furious clash. The giant rose to his full height and took a step toward the captain, each following footfall was accompanied by the giant shrinking down to Kenpachi's size.
"Very well." The flame giant said, his voice sounding like the crackling embers of a fire that was close to dying. "I'll do you the courtesy of giving you a proper fight." He held up his burning sword, poised for battle. "Do the honor of letting this Laveatin know a proper fight before I kill you." Zaraki smirked as he cracked his neck.
"Bold words. Try to back them up." He said before twisting Nozarashi into a proper fighting stance again. "Remember my name Surtr. I am Kenpachi Zaraki, and there's nothing I cannot cut." The two powerhouses glared at each other a little longer before clashing again, causing more sparks and flares to erupt from the giant's sword. The area around the two became a fiery whirlwind as their battle dragged on, a heat so intense that it was causing the area around them to melt with strikes that reflected the true size of Surtr. That great strength, the intense heat, the first and greatest of the sons of Muspielheim, was disappointing to Zaraki. All of this intense power but no skill, probably a result from his power having no equal for so long. Now?
"You're boring." Zaraki bemoaned, swinging his cleaver with both hands and forced the giant back. "I don't care to remember this. Bankai!" He called out as everything trembled, making most look around to the light that shone through the darkened stormy sky, as Kenpachi was covered in his yellow reiatsu. When everything settled, Zaraki was hunched over with his skin a deep crimson red with black markings over his eyes with short horns on his forehead and holding a more vicious looking cleaver. He breathed out a low growl, glaring at Surtr. The flame giant swung his blade again, sending a crescent wave of fire and heat at Zaraki. It disintegrated everything that it passed through, a temperature reminiscent to that of the sun, and Zaraki cut it in twain with a single swing of his cleaver, leaving a massive gash along Surtr's body with magma spraying from the wound. A powerful crack of thunder shook the ground and Zaraki flashed past Surtr's body before releasing his Bankai.
"AH! That still hurts." Zaraki grunted out, feeling the strain of releasing his full strength. "Should've taken the time to stretch out properly." He looked back to the still body of the flame giant and started to walk away. His zanpakuto returned to its chipped katana form that he proceeded to sheath. Once that was done and he flashed away, the top half of Surtr's body fell forward while his legs remained standing. In that same moment a pillar of flames more intense than anything they felt burst out of Surtr's body.
(Flames of Ragnarok)
"Crap!" Ichigo growled out as he flashed to the point where the flames were shooting out, flinching from the intense heat. "What the hell is this!? This is hotter than my Bankai!" The area around Surtr was disintegrating and steadily spreading out while the sky itself seemed to slowly vanish from the heat of the flames. A fire that could burn away literally anything in existence. Ichigo was alerted to the presence of Odin, coughing up blood and barely able to stand as he desperately clung to Gungnir, using it as a walking stick to help get him to Ichigo and Surtr's body.
"That," the old god started before coughing up more blood, "that's the Spark of Creation! That was the fire that Surtr mixed his being with as the Primordial World was formed!" He explained while undoing his robes, revealing a body riddled with rot and glowing runes but not the ones that were supposed to numb his pain. "He kept it in and spent all of this time smothering and cooling it to be something he could use to destroy the nine realms when the time came! Any sooner and it'd spread like an uncontrollable wildfire throughout Creation unless something on the level of Shiva appeared to stop it. But it seems like all of this ambient energy has reignited it to its original fury!"
"Bankai!" The two heard two more voices call out as a wave of cold blew over them. "Hakka no Togame/Daiguren Hyorinmaru!" The two ice captains erected a dome of ice over the two and the pillar of fire that was still burning ever stronger. Ichigo looked down to find Rukia in her Bankai state with her sword firmly in the ice and keeping it to absolute zero colds while Toshiro stood above them in ice armor and running his own ice dragons throughout the icy dome.
"So happy I brought them." Ichigo muttered before turning back to Odin. "Tell me you have a plan." The god kept coughing but held up a handful of runes, Isa(ᛁ) and Inguz(ᛜ/ᛝ) which meant stillness and separation.
"If... I was... more fit," He started before puking up a mouthful of blood, "I'd absorb the fire into myself and use the last of my life to quench it with these runes, separating the flames from this reality." He coughed out some more. "But... I... can't. The fire... is too... strong for... me... to control." Ichigo looked to Kagutsuchi again and reflected on its power. When the sword was reforged to be his own its fire manipulation was made to match his own nature as the hybrid that he is, it could generate its own flames and take control of other fire before absorbing it into itself. The blade itself was a god of fire.
"Can you still quell the flames if I send them into you?" He asked, ready to take this risk. Absorbing any fire meant he had to be of sufficiently greater power between its source and himself and these flames were still beyond him. But he could still manipulate it at a heavy cost. Odin nodded and readied the runes, prompting Ichigo to hold his blade up to the spire of flames. The blade pulsed as sparks steadily flowed to Kagutsuchi's blade before a stream of fire soon followed, making the blade glow white. The effects on Ichigo was immediate as he grabbed the hilt with both hands, a pained expression on his face as he felt the greatest flames in existence steadily burn away his flesh and even his soul as his arms started to turn into an ashy gray, following a burning ring that climbed up his arms. He hissed in pain as the burns went all the way up to his elbows while Odin finished his spell.
"DO IT!" The ancient god roared out as the runes on his body flared to life. Ichigo roared as he flooded reishi into his arms to use rasotengai and a near constant regeneration to keep his arms in usable condition before he managed to point it in the direction of Odin before stabbing him in the chest and channeling the fires into the god. "AAAHHHHHHH!" He cried out as everything about Odin started glowing like burning embers. "I'M NOT RUNNING ANYMORE!" The chief god roared out with what he could. "I WILL DIE! WITH HONOR!" With that declaration, both Ichigo and Odin roared in determination as the rest of the flames flowed through Ichigo and into the god. When the stream ended, Ichigo fell back and groaned in pain with his arms now burning stumps halfway up his biceps. Odin was an ashen statue with a sword in his chest and two arms still clinging to it, but they succeeded. The fires that would burn all the realms were quenched at the cost of Odin's remaining life.
"Ichigo!" He heard his team call out, Rukia immediately reaching him and laying her icy hands on his still burning wounds. Toshiro and herself looked deeply concerned and terrified while Zaraki stood guard. The remaining forces of the Aesir gathering around the remains of the All-Father and bowing their heads in respect.
"We won. That's what's important." Ichigo said, hoping to assuage his team's concern. "I'll heal eventually. This isn't that bad." The looks on Rukia and Toshiro didn't change as the squad ten captain spoke some devastating news.
"Ichigo, Soul Society was attacked."
(The Soul Society: Around the same time the battle of Ragnarok started)
The day started out as much a normal one as any other as the morning sun draped its light over the world. The squads were going out on patrols, squad 12 was doing its research, squad 4 was busy with only handing out hangover cures and muscle relaxants for those that drank excessively or ached from their training, children were frolicking about throughout the Seireitei and Rukongai, and Tiamat was enjoying all of this from her roost with the half siblings and dear friends of her daughter Melusine. The morning was truly pleasant to both her eyes and her ears as draconic birds sang out their melodies while she herself drank from a new experimental tea blend Kirio wanted to put out. Suddenly an enormous reiatsu started pressing down on them and the grounds of the squad 12 barracks blew apart as a monstrous being rose from within the earth.
The thing that tore its way out of the ground was a towering behemoth of wine red muscle with dull purple armor plates of bone covering its joints and three massive tails whipping about violently. The monster had burning devil energy from its black clawed hands and feet while the lower jaw and crown were also burning with that energy as it roared and showed off a mouthful of glistening dagger like teeth. As it did that, swarms of black creatures burst out from the cavern the creature seemed to have come from and started to attack the soul reapers. Tiamat erected a barrier around her roost the moment she sensed the monster charging up an energy attack in its mouth, before it roared and released a blast of energy that was destroying everything it touched. The attack washed over the barrier, leaving a line of cracks where it struck, before it focused on other buildings around the Seireitei.
Soon enough the various captains and lieutenants took charge and begun the counter attack, with the lieutenants focusing on the swarms while the remaining captains did battle with the monster. She watched as each one used their Shikai and safer Bankai to attack the beast, but it seemed to be impervious to the attacks and appeared to grow in size as it seemed to grow ever more angry. Tiamat growled at this ruination of the pleasant morning and took to her own godly sized, which was still dwarfed by the monster, and released her own beam attacks, waving her hand and creating balls of energy that slammed into the creature. It appeared to actually cause some damage but then it unfurled four black devil wings and started flapping them, creating a massive whirlwind and tornadoes that were tearing apart the Soul Society even more.
Tiamat roared in anger and quelled the winds, charging a ball of fire in her mouth before everything trembled from another force. Suddenly the massive beast faded, almost as if it never existed, with the devastation it wrought being the evidence to the contrary. The cries of agony reminded Tiamat that there were more monsters to deal with and she looked down in horror, noting that the streets were running red with blood but none of the creatures had been slain, or even hurt. The closest anyone seemed to be getting was Esdeath as she methodically seemed to cut and stab at one of the beasts in order to kill it, only for it to laugh mockingly at her efforts.
"You ruined my morning." Tiamat heard Ophis say, turning to find the child-like dragon god hovering over the Seireitei and simply waved her had. Instantly, every single one of the black beasts seemed to dissolve with a few dozen that simply died. It was a horrific sight and a healthy reminder that Ophis was not just a simple child. "Mama Tiamat?" She suddenly asked the motherly goddess that was very much her junior. "That was the right thing to do, wasn't it?" She asked with a tilt of her head, genuinely curious with a look that practically begged for head pats. The goddess smiled warmly at her and obliged, getting a beaming smile from the child while she strained her hearing to try and find out what happened.
"-managed to bypass all of our security and free Yammy Llargo." "And apparently turn him into a devil. I dread whoever would dare make that monster one of theirs." "Almost all of the infrastructure has been destroyed." "Easy fix, we keep a spare copy hidden just in case something like this happened." "Someone should still send would to the captain commander." "On it." "Could this situation get any worse?" Tiamat heard the many voices say as she floated back to her roost, finding the children still safe but horrified by something, with Kunou on the verge of tears as she lowered her phone.
"M-m-mama's missing."
Omake
(Making it up to Serafall)
"Is this really necessary?" Ichigo asked as he slipped on a white suit jacket while clipping on a white cape onto his shoulders. "It seems rather extravagant for what you want." He slipped on the final accessory of a thin ballroom mask that only covered his eyes rather than his whole face. He was dressed in a royal suite that was pearl white with a lavender inside and accents with embroidery and golden medals pinned to his breast with a gold necklace and chain connecting the cape pins.
"That's the point of cosplay Berry baby!" Serafall called out as Ichigo took up a gleaming silver scepter. "Now get out here and show me my King Endymion!" The head captain moved the curtain and saw Serafall in a long white dress of glittering moonlight and golden embroidery over her bust and two transparent wing like ties on her back with her formerly long black hair now shining silver like the moon as well with a heart shaped tiara. "Yummy~," she said while licking her lips, "I'm starting to get wet." Ichigo quickly flicked her on the forehead where a golden crescent moon was. "Owie~!"
"This was your idea Sera, save that talk for later." Ichigo scolded as he went over to a crib to get Celdia, who was in a baby sized copy of Serafall's own dress. "Seriously? A cosplay family photo? I agreed to anything you want, and it's a cosplay family photo."
"Don't worry. There will be degeneracy later." Serafall promised as she used magic to dye Ichigo's hair black and Celdia's as pink. "There's my cute Small Lady!" She cooed to her baby, tickling her stomach and gaining the laughter like peals of a bell. "Alright. Let's go." She said as she hooked her arms into Ichigo's as they went to the photographer's stage.
Some reactions to Ichigo's Bankai from those familiar with him
Hades and Persephone
The two rulers of the Greek Underworld were going through another mountain of paperwork when everything suddenly shook and made them look up before going back to their work.
"Think he's fine?" Persephone asked as she scanned another spreadsheet.
"Knowing him, he'll bounce back stronger." Hades claimed as an alarm rang, letting them know it was break time.
Serafall and the other Satans
"After going over the projected time frames and schedules of all parties involved, I've found that this is the best time slot for the Gremory/Bael Young Kings Rating Game match." Serafall explained as she presented her evidence to the other three Satans. "And if we advertise this properly then we can get everyone in our realm to tune in and then we can expose the Great King Faction's match fixing. Then we-" there was the tremble and flash of light that they seemed to recognize. "Oh yeah, that's what plows me." Serafall said in a happy daze.
'At least she didn't make another Celdia slideshow.' The other three Satans thought.